Do you flow?

*image

A few months back I went to a yoga class and was surprised to walk in and discover my usual teacher was out sick and a “make up” teacher was seated on the mat in the front of the room. I immediately felt “bristly” and disappointed. I wanted my usual teacher and contemplated leaving the class and skipping that week. And then I heard a gentle voice inside my head say, “Just stay.” It prompted me to (somewhat stubbornly) sit down. As I started to settle in for the roughly hour long class, I babbled inwardly to myself, “Oh, I’ll stay. But I am definitely not going to like this.” And then we started to flow. And in the yoga flow of moving from posture to posture I let go of the stubbornness, anger, and closed mindedness and really began to enjoy the class. The teacher was great, in her own way. The music was different than usual, but really beautiful. And the teacher’s words tapped into some very specific in me that day, that I didn’t even know I needed.

Have you felt this way recently? Been seated at a restaurant and the table choice leaves you feeling irked or irritated? Had a sick kid home from school and wondered “Why today of all days is this happening?” Or you sign up to volunteer at school and realize the party chosen to work with you is someone who has always gotten under your skin. Can you find purpose in that pairing? Can you be a little more gracious or patient? Might the least likely person have something to teach us? I know it’s been a year filled with turmoil for many of us. Family surgeries, illness, work stress, politics, heartache… These are all things I or dear friends are facing. Many in my life are scared for the future in big ways and small. If you are nodding your head and saying, “Yup. Me too.” just know you are not alone. I feel the same way. I am resisting and fighting the things that cause me discomfort. And it’s left me feeling depleted and frustrated. Quite frankly I have finally figured out I have two choices here. We all do. We can board up the windows and wait out the storm, or throw on our rain coats, head into the rain holding hands, and keep marching until the storm subsides. And we are fully allowed to laugh and cry while we wade through the waters. That’s a very big part  of it. I’ve got my rain coat and wellies all ready for the Northeaster that’s heading our way (this weekend literally! and in life proverbially.) and I am here for the walking. And the flowing. And the changing. And the growing.

So where are you not flowing in your life? What would it look like if you entered each new day with the intention to be more open-minded? If you trusted more strongly that the universe (in my case I choose to see it as God’s purposeful plan) has a divine plan in place for you and it might look slightly different than the plan you expected. Things can be different and still good. How would that change your day today?